


Playin' the Missus

by texasbelle91



Series: Missing Flowers [1]
Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Completely AU, F/M, No ZA
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-04 05:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1766797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/texasbelle91/pseuds/texasbelle91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is just a little Meth (Merle/Beth) one-shot. I got the idea for it while listening to "Trailer for Rent" by Pistol Annies.</p><p>I hope y'all enjoy it and don't forget to review! :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Playin' the Missus  
_________________

Beth stood in the kitchen of their small trailer, staring at the beer cans and cigarettes that littered the kitchen counters, the living room floor and the coffee table.

She was sick of his shit and him comin' home high every night.

Seein' him passed out on the couch made her wonder if maybe her daddy and sister were right.

He had finally told her he loved her and promised he would get clean for her and their unborn child.

In return, she gave him everything. Gave up her dreams of college and singin'. Gave him a child and played the missus.

Standing there, three years later, she cursed him and then herself for believing him.

He never hurt her physically, just with his lies and empty promises.

She caught a glimpse of one of the many holes in the the walls and decided it was 'bout time somebody got the hell out.

She went to their bedroom, put her jeans on and packed her bags. Then she went to their sons room and packed his bags.

As she was carrying them to her truck, she let a few tears fall.

How could she have fallen for a man like Merle Dixon?

She put her truck in drive and started towards her brother-in-laws house to pick up her son.

She drove to the bank and withdrew the money her daddy had given her for when she finally came to her senses.

She bought a map at a convenience store and after studying it, she sent a text to her sister and called her daddy.

When she pulled away from the store, she pointed her car towards Tennessee.  
________________

Merle woke up to find there were no lights on in the trailer, no food cooked and his wife and son were no where in sight.

He flicked on the lamp beside the couch and went to the fridge to get a beer.

When he opened it, he saw an envelope taped to the beer box.

He grabbed it and a beer and went back to the couch.

He sat the beer down on the coffee table, lit a cigarette and opened the envelope.

Inside was Beth's wedding ring, her set of keys and a folded up letter.

He unfolded it and stared at Beth's handwriting.

"Merle,

You've pissed me off for the last time."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**A/N: Let me make it clear that I absolutely love Merle and I love him and Beth together but I wanted to try something a little different for this.  
>  _ **Let me know what y'all think!**_**  
>  _ **WARNING: Possible triggers for abuse, drugs, violence, etc.**_   
> __**Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or it's characters.**_

Playin' the Missus

Chapter 2

________________________________________

Beth was lying in bed reading a story to her son when her phone rang.

She picked it up off her nightstand and answered it.

"Bethie," Maggie began before Beth had the chance to say 'hello', "you need to come home."

Seeing how late it was, Beth began to feel sick at hearing her sisters words. Somethin' had to be wrong for her to call this late.

"What...what's wrong?" She finally managed to get out.

"That piece of shit husband of yours went to daddy's an' kicked in the door," Maggie told her.

"Did he do anythin' else?"

"No. Thankfully mama and daddy weren't home but Shawn was. They got into a pretty bad fight."

"How bad?"

"Bad enough. He was drunk so it didn't take much for him to give up but you need to come home. Divorce him or somethin'. Jus' make sure you get full custody of Cody. Though I'm sure it won't be a problem with his record."

When Beth hung up, she started cryin'. She had been gone for nearly six months and Merle hadn't tried to come after her.

He didn't call her, he didn't call her sister or brother, he didn't call her mama and daddy. No, he went to their house and kicked in the front door.

"That's some man you're in love with," she berated herself.

________________________________________

The next morning as she drove back to Georgia, she tried to keep her mind off of Merle but she couldn't.

She looked over at her son and had to force herself not to cry. She didn't want him around Merle and the drugs but she knew he missed his daddy. He asked about him everyday and at night he would pray for his daddy to get better.

That was Beth's own fault she supposed.

She had to give a reason as to why they left and why his daddy wasn't there so she told him he was sick and as soon as he got better, they could see him again.

Before she realized it, she was already pulling up to the farm house.

After everyone greeted her and Cody, she had to address the reason she had come home.

"What're you gonna do?" Maggie asked.

"I'm not...," she was cut off by Shawn.

"I'll tell ya what I'm gonna do if I see him again," Shawn started.

"That's enough," Hershel stood up and walked over to Beth, "we will stand behind you no matter what you decide. But the decision is yours, Bethie."

Beth waited around for a few hours before she decided to talk to Merle. Maybe he would get clean if she told him he could move to Tennessee with them?

She shook that thought away. There's no way in hell Merle Dixon would ever change. She had seen that for herself but somethin' inside her wouldn't give up the hope that he would.

She didn't bother with tellin' anyone where she was goin', she knew they'd know.

________________________________________

Beth pulled up to the old trailer she had shared with Merle and sat in her truck for a few minutes before getting out. She was extremely nervous.

She sighed and opened the truck door.

Making her way up to the front door, she said a little prayer to herself.

Noticing the front door was slightly ajar, she pushed it open and stepped inside.

It was no surprise to her to see the trailer in the same, if not worse, condition as when she left. What did surprise her though, was seeing her brother-in-law, Daryl, passed out on the couch with a needle stuck in his arm.

Beth began to panic and rushed to his side. He was clammy but had a faint pulse.

Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed 911 but just as she pressed send, the phone was knocked out of her hand and she was pulled up by her hair.

"What tha fuck're ya doin' 'ere?" Merle asked as he slammed her against the wall.

For the first time in all the years she had known him, she was scared.

Merle pinned her to the wall with one arm and gripped her face tightly with his freehand.

"Answer me!" He demanded.

Looking into his eyes she stuttered, "I...I thought you...maybe you would like to...to see your...your son."

"Ya think I wanna see 'im? Ya took 'im from me ya lil' bitch!"

She closed her eyes but quickly opened them back up when she felt his hand connect with her face before he shoved her to the floor.

She laid there, curled up in shock as he walked away.

She looked in his direction when she heard a woman giggle and then slur as she talked.

Beth closed her eyes and didn't open them until she heard sirens. She didn't move from the floor until she was being pulled up by a police officer.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" he asked.

Beth stared at him blankly and shook her head.

They called for a ambulance for Daryl but several cops began questioning her.

She was oblivious to the blood running out of her nose, her busted lip and the bruise that was forming on the side of her face.

"Ma'am who did this to you?" She heard another cop ask but she couldn't reply.

Merle busted into the living room cussin' and yellin' for tha cops to get out of his house and to take Beth with them.

She was staring at Merle with wide, fearful eyes when the cops looked at her again.

"Ma'am, did he do this?"

She shook her head 'no' but the cops didn't believe her. They saw the drugs that were all over the coffee table and arrested Merle.

If they couldn't arrest him for what he did to her, then they could arrest him for something, anything else.

________________________________________

At the police station, Beth sat there waiting for them to talk to her.

When asked if she would like to press charges against Merle, she told them no.

She was still sitting there with her head in her hands when somebody walked up and put their hand on her shoulder. She didn't bother to look up.

"Beth, I've called your daddy," he told her. She recognized the voice as that of Rick Grimes, her brother Shawn's uncle.

She looked up at him and he was visually taken aback when he saw her face.

Beth didn't know what to say or do. There was a good chance her daddy would throw a fit when he got there and she knew Maggie would fly off the handle.


	3. Chapter 3

Playin' the Missus

Chapter 3

________________________________________

As expected, Beth's entire family was outraged by what Merle had done to her.

Hershel and Annette, along with Maggie, Shawn and Rick, all urged her to press charges.

Her daddy was talkin' to Rick about getting a restraining order while her mama tried to keep Cody occupied.

Maggie and Shawn were hell bent on making Beth come to her senses.

Seeing her face made them bring up old questions. One's they had asked her and themselves a hundred times over since Beth first started seein' Merle and even more after she got pregnant.

"Bethie, how many times has Merle hurt you like this?" Maggie questioned her in the police station.

Beth groaned, "God, Maggie! I've told you before and I'm tellin' you again. Merle. Has. Never. Hurt. Me."

Maggie shook her head and crossed her arms.

"There has to be a reason you got with him," Shawn started, his anger apparent in his voice, "you weren't out of high school yet when you started seein' him. I knew he was just an old, redneck, pervert. What'd he do Beth? Did he force you? How many times has he hit you before?"

Beth's eyes were filled with angry tears. "First of all, lower your voice! We are in public, Shawn. Second, I may have been in high school but I was 18. It's not like I was 15 or 16. I was 18. So what if Merle was older or a redneck? And third, He was never anythin' but good to me. He never once hit me. He never called me names. The only time he ever raised his voice to me was when he was drunk or high and I was yellin' at him too! He never laid a hand on me before."

"Beth, he hit you!" Maggie tried to be the voice of reason but Beth could hear the rage and fear in her voice.

"He was high, Maggie."

"That's just an excuse," Shawn said calmly and with an equal amount of fear and rage as Maggie, "you give him that excuse this time and he'll keep using it as an excuse."

She loved Merle, always will but what if they were right?

Beth's sobs grew louder as she clumsily sat down in a chair with Maggie and Shawn's help.

A few minutes later she was sitting at a desk with her mama and daddy while Rick asked her more questions.

"I really think you should press charges," Rick said, "that way if he ever does anythin' else, this incident will be on his record. It'll help you if you plan on filing for divorce and full custody of your son."

Beth shook her head, "I'm not doin' that."

"Bethie," Hershel gently put his hand on Beth's arm, "you need to do somethin'. Merle is a violent man and has shown he doesn't care if he hurts you or not."

"Beth, sweetie, please listen to your father and Rick," her mother said.

Beth rubbed her eyes and stood up. "I am not some abused housewife and I am not going to put the father of my child in jail."

Beth walked away angry but more at herself than anyone else.

Later that night, after they had returned to the farm, Beth's head was spinning and her heart was racing when she laid down next to her son.

She knew Merle had had his reservations about being a husband and father because of his own father. He was always afraid he would be like him. But she never doubted his love for her and their son, even when he messed up. But what if Merle and even Daryl were right? What if it was embedded in them so deeply that they were truly their father's sons? What would that mean for Cody?

________________________________________

The next morning Beth was awake before anyone else.

She showered and tried to put on makeup but ended up washing it off since it didn't do a very good job covering her bruises.

"Hey baby," she whispered to Cody as he was waking up, "you wanna go see uncle Daryl?"

He nodded and rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Mommy, I hungry," Cody told her after they were in the truck and headed into town.

"Okay baby, we'll get somethin' to eat after we see uncle Daryl, okay?"

Cody just looked at her and Beth could feel the tears forming in her eyes.

He looked so much like Merle.

When they arrived at the hospital, they were directed to Daryl's room and upon entering, Daryl's eyes grew wide.

"Tha hell happened ta yer face?"

Beth simply shook her head and lifted Cody up to sit on the bed next to Daryl.

They stayed there for a couple hours with Cody askin' Daryl where his daddy was every few minutes and Daryl's only response was to look at Beth.

"Your daddy's still sick," she would tell him though she knew he probably wasn't buying that excuse anymore.

________________________________________

A week had passed since Beth had come back home to Georgia which meant she had missed that much work and was now going to miss another week.

She had convinced her father she would be alright on her own while she went to the trailer to remove any belongings she and Cody had left there.

She had been there all morning and managed to load the bed of her truck with boxes and the seats with bags of toys and that still wasn't everythin'.

She decided to carry the stuff out to the farm, grab some lunch and come back to get the rest but as she was walkin' out the door, her eyes locked onto a picture on the wall.

She reached for it and once it was in her hands, she gripped the frame as tight as she could.

It was a picture of Merle and Cody.

Beth remembered that day like it had just happened.

It was Cody's first birthday and one of the rare occasions where Merle was actually clean and had been for a few months.

Merle had taken Cody fishing and though they didn't catch anything, they were both smilin' and happy.

A tear rolled down Beth's cheek and landed on the glass of the picture frame as she sat down on the couch.

She stared at it for what seemed like forever before she clutched the frame to her chest.

She could count on one hand how many times Merle had been clean and sober for more than a few days since she had known him.

When she found out she was pregnant, she and Merle had waited the three minutes and once he saw the test was positive, he swore he'd never touch drugs or alcohol again and he didn't until Cody was four months old.

Beth thought it was a shame that their son wouldn't remember the good times. All he'd remember was how his daddy was hardly around and when he was, he was never really there.

________________________________________

Beth didn't hear the front door open while she was thinkin' about the good times she and Merle had together so when she felt a hand on her shoulder she jumped off the couch and threw the picture down, shattering the glass.

She backed away slowly as she stared into Merle's eyes.

"Wh...what are you doin' here?" she asked him while trying not to panic.

"I made bail," he said. His eyes scanned over her face and stopped on the bruise that was still there.

"What happened ta yer face?" he asked as he took a step towards her.

The only movement she made was a flinch when he ran his fingers over the bruise.

"Who did this ta ya, Beth?"

She swallowed hard and searched his eyes for any sign he was playin' her.

"You," she said flatly.

Merle's breath caught in his throat and he stumbled backwards.

"I...I," he shook his head, "I didn't do that. I ain't never...I ain't like that."

"Yes you are," she said but it came out as barely a whisper.

Merle began rubbin' his face and that was just the opening Beth needed.

She rushed past him to get to the front door but she wasn't fast enough.

Merle grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest.

With both arms wrapped around her, securing her tightly to himself, Merle buried his face in her hair.

"I'm sorry, Sugar. I ain't never meant ta hurt ya. I love ya, baby," he whispered.

Beth began to cry. This was the Merle she wanted their son to know, this was her Merle.

She didn't make any moves to give him the idea she had accepted his apology.

This was more than him sleepin' with some whore, more than the countless nights he spent high and drunk, more than all the broken promises he had made to not only her but to their son as well.

What he had done was inexcusable and unforgivable.

Who was she kidding, she knew she would forgive him but it would take time.

Beth pushed herself away from Merle and stared at him.

"I have to go," she said as firmly as she could.

Merle once again grabbed her arm when she turned towards the front door, only this time it was a tight, bruising grip.

 

"Ya ain't leavin' 'ere, Sugar. Ya belong 'ere."

She _belongs_ here?

She took a deep breath and jerked her arm away.

"If you ever come near me or my son again, you'll regret it," she didn't let her voice crack or the fear show through.

She was doin' this for Cody and herself. She had to do it.


	4. Chapter 4

Playin' the Missus

Chapter 4

________________________________________

Merle walked through the trailer after Beth left, lookin' at everything that was now gone.

He opened the door to Cody's room to see the only things that remained in there were his bed, dresser and the toy box Merle had built him. Everything else was gone.

Merle felt his heart break at knowin' his son, the only person in world who looked up to him, wouldn't be comin' home.

He pulled out his wallet and sat down on the bed. He looked at the picture he kept in there of Beth and Cody.

It had been a long time since he had seen Beth look at him the way she did in that picture. She was the only one who thought he had hung the moon.

Merle ran his thumb over the picture before throwing it to the floor and walkin' out of the room.

He grabbed a full bottle of whiskey off the kitchen counter and what was left of a thirty pack and sat down on the couch.

The picture Beth had thrown down was still on the floor. He reached down and picked it up.

A few beers and a fifth of whiskey later, Merle was yellin' at no one and was knockin' the pictures off the walls and breaking' whatever was in his way.

He had a few more drinks before he found himself in his truck and heading towards the Greene farm.

________________________________________

It was four in the morning when Beth and everyone else in the house was startled awake by the sound of a car horn.

She looked out of her window to see Merle and her daddy with a shotgun.

Beth rushed outside and asked her daddy to give her a minute alone with Merle.

Merle staggered towards her and hit his knees. His hand we on her waist.

"Baby, I'm sorry. Come home," he slurred and looked up at her.

She shook her head crossed her arms.

"I gave you too many chances Merle. You don't get anymore."

Merle mumbled something then buried his face in her stomach and his arms wrapped around her.

Beth could feel his tears through her shirt.

She didn't know what to think or believe.

Merle Dixon was on his knees, begging her to come back to him. As many times as she had left him over the years, he'd never done that before. He never begged, he never cried, never even said he was sorry like he was doin' now.

She uncrossed her arms and let her hands rest on his head.

"I love ya, baby," Merle slurred again, "I love Cody. Jus' want y'all ta come home. I'll fuckin' change."

Beth fought back her tears. She needed to be stronger. Maybe if she didn't have Cody, she'd go back but she can't now. She has to put him before anyone else and she was more than willing to do that.

She reached behind her and pried Merle's hands off her shirt and backed away.

"I'm sorry, Merle. I can't. I'm filing for a divorce."

Merle stared at her in shock while she turned around and went back inside.

He stumbled to his feet and towards the house, barely able to walk and fallin' several times.

When he made it up to the front door, he hit it with his fists and was beggin' her to come talk to him and not to file for a divorce.

Hershel opened the door with his shotgun aimed at Merle again.

Merle fell to his knees right there.

"Jus' fuckin' do it," he told Hershel, "done lost my wife an' kid. Ain't got no reason ta live no more."

Hershel took pity on him and lowered his gun.

"C'mon son. We're going to get you home."

Hershel helped Merle into the passenger seat of his truck and he got in the drivers seat.

Annette followed them in their car.

________________________________________

Three days later, Beth was getting ready to leave and head back to Tennessee when Daryl pulled up.

Cody ran to him and hugged his legs. Beth watched as Daryl lifted him and threw him into the air, Cody was laughin when Daryl caught him.

"I need ta talk ta yer mama," Daryl told him.

Cody ran off and Beth and Daryl started walkin' down the driveway.

"Ya gon' tell me what's goin' on?"

"Mama and daddy are gonna help me pay for the divorce and I'm...I'm gonna ask for sole custody of Cody. Are you gonna tell me why I found you with a needle in your arm?"

Daryl shrugged and looked down.

"Daryl, you have never done anythin' like that. What changed?"

"Merle changed. After ya left, he got worse. Kept callin' me a fuckin' pussy an' shit."

They continued to talk until they made it back to the house. Daryl hugged Cody and then Beth.

"I'll be up for his birthday," he told Beth before they left.

________________________________________

Back in Tennessee, Beth enrolled for fall classes and took extra hours at work.

All the months they had spent there before goin' back to Georgia three months ago were somewhat depressing for her.

She had missed her family and friends, missed the farm and the small town, she missed Merle more than she cared to admit.

But now that she was back, she had a new sense of freedom. She didn't feel like Beth Greene or Beth Dixon. She felt like Beth, someone she hadn't been able to find until now.


	5. Chapter 5

Playin' the Missus

Chapter 5

________________________________________

Beth had been making plans for a small birthday party for Cody and had sent out invitations. In the back of her mind she knew it was stupid but she had one made for Merle. She didn't send it though.

After work and a couple classes last week, she was on her way to pick up Cody from daycare when she received a call from Merle. She let it go to voice mail.

While driving to their apartment, Cody started asking if his daddy was comin' to his birthday party.

Beth wasn't sure what to tell him. So when they got home, she found the invitation and put it in her purse so she could drop it off at the post office the next morning.

________________________________________

Beth was still new to the whole experience of finding herself but part of that included her dream of singing.

Tonight, she would be takin' another step closer to her dreams. She was nervous as hell.

After the babysitter arrived, she went downtown to the bar she would performing at. She was thankful it wasn't a sleazy bar. Everyone in there was dressed casually but most were music executives.

If she had a chance at all at makin' it, this night would help her more than anything else.

The announcer called up onto the stage, as she stood in front of the microphone, her heart started beating faster than she'd ever felt it. It was partially do to the fact she was nervous and the song she was about to sing was her own and because of who chose to walk into the bar at that moment.

Beth closed her eyes as the band began playing.

__

_"I remember that day when he walked up to me. Wrote my number down, put it in the pocket of his bluejeans. And I fell like a feather, yeah, just like that, we were together. He was my perfect gentleman, sweet like, real sweet._

__

_And his hands felt like thunder on my skin, His breath hot, oh how could I forget that his eyes looked right through me and that was it. Silence was the only sound then, and my heart pounding."_

She found his face in the crowd just as she started singin' the next verse.

__

_"Told me things would be different leaving church that Sunday, but the only change coming was the quarters in the ashtray. Yeah I should have known better when the last three times he swore that he would never lay another finger on me but the truth's on my face._

__

_And his hands felt like thunder on my skin, his breath hot, oh how could I forget. His eyes looked right through me and that was it. Silence was the only sound then, and my heart pounding._

__

_Cause his hands felt like thunder on my skin, His breath hot, oh how could I forget that his eyes looked right through me and that was it. Silence was the only sound then, silence was the only sound then, silence was the only sound then, and my heart heart pounding."_

She smiled when everyone stood and applauded her performance and though she was excited, she hurried off the stage to find him.

"Hey," she grabbed his arm just as he was walkin' out of the bar, "what are you doin' here?"

He turned around and shook his head. "Came up a few days early. Wanted ta spend some time with Cody 'fore 'is birthday. I went ta yer place but tha sitter said ya were 'ere," he sighed, "what tha hell kinda song was that?"

Beth took a deep breath. She knew she'd have to tell him eventually but this wasn't how she wanted to.

"It...it's a song I wrote after I...after I came home."

The look on his face told her he wasn't quite sure how to take that.

"Daryl, when you were in the hospital, you asked what happened to my face. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah. An' whoever tha fuck did that ta ya is gon' have hell ta pay when I find 'im."

"It...it was Merle."

Daryl took a step back from her, eyes wide and his hands clenched in fists.

She expected him to call her a liar or somethin' and leave but he didn't, instead he pulled Beth towards his truck.

"How many times has he done that to ya?" he asked once they were both inside.

"That was the only time he ever hit me. He was high."

Daryl hit the steering wheel, "Don't make fuckin' excuses fer that piece of shit! He ever hit Cody?"

"God no! I would've killed him if he did!"

Daryl didn't believe her, he wanted to but he didn't.

________________________________________

Two days later, Beth's family arrived for Cody's birthday party.

As the day wore on she noticed the sad look on his face. He wasn't excited about his gifts or anything. He just sat there holdin' a stuffed animal.

"You haven't heard from Merle?" Hershel asked his daughter.

"No sir," she looked down in shame, "but I'm sure he'll call."

"He has to," she said as an afterthought and mostly to herself.

How could he claim he loved them but doesn't make any effort to make things right?

________________________________________

Merle knew he was missin' his sons birthday but he couldn't see him yet. He was hoping he'd be ready by the time Christmas rolled around.

He was sittin' in his truck, starin' at the picture of Beth and Cody he had thrown on the floor before. He placed it back in his wallet before going inside the building he was parked in front of.

Merle took a seat in the back, away from everyone, so he could listen.

They all started talkin' about the steps you take, the mistakes they made and the price you pay when you lose control.

He wasn't quite ready to stand up and tell them why he was there but he was acknowledging he had a problem and if he wanted his family back, he had to do this.

He let himself cry as he listened to the others talk.

He was doin' this for Beth, Cody and Daryl.

________________________________________  
_**A/N: the song used in this chapter is "His Hands" by Jennifer Nettles.**_


	6. Chapter 6

Thanksgiving was only a day away and Beth, Cody and Zach, Beth's new boyfriend, returned to Georgia to celebrate with her family.

Almost everything would be prepared for Thanksgiving day but Zach wanted to get something special so they stopped at the grocery store before going to the Greene farm.

When they arrived at the farm, Cody took off running towards the house and Zach put his arm around Beth's waist as they walked up the steps and inside.

Everyone was in the living room talking over one another and laughing but they all grew silent when they entered.

Hershel was the first to acknowledge Beth and her guest. He stood and approached them.

"Daddy, this is Zach. Zach, this is my daddy," they shook hands and Beth began introducing everyone, "That's my sister Maggie and her husband Glenn. That's my brother Shawn and that's Cody's uncle Daryl."

She looked around as they all greeted Zach when she noticed someone was missing.

"Where's mama?" she asked.

"She's in the kitchen," Maggie said.

Beth walked into the kitchen, pulling Zach along with her but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Merle sitting at the kitchen table.

She let go of Zach's hand as Merle stood up.

He walked past her without sayin' anything.

"Daddy! Daddy," Cody screamed in excitement but Beth couldn't make herself move. Not even when her mother hugged her, not when Zach tugged her arm and not even when she heard the front door shut and Merle's truck start up.

_________________________

Beth didn't have much to say after that. She thought it was obvious everyone in her family was on Merle's side.

Why else would he be here? Why would they invite him knowing she was bringing her new boyfriend?

"Bethie," her daddy handed her a cup of hot chocolate, "we're all sorry about today."

"Why was he here?"

"He wanted to see Cody and you. He loves you both."

Beth looked at him and shook her head.

"No he doesn't. He never did. I see that now."

"Beth, as your father, I do not agree with everything Merle does or how things have gone between the two of you but I've been where Merle is."

Beth started to speak but Hershel raised his hand to silence her.

"Just hear me out, Bethie," he paused, waiting for her to listen, "I have not kept any secrets from you kids. You all know how I was after Maggie's mother passed away. That's why I invited Merle. I've been where he is, I know what he's goin' through. How he feels, what he's thinkin'."

Beth looked at her father with tears in her eyes, he placed his hand over hers and continued.

"He knows how bad he hurt you and Cody. He's tryin' to make things right. It may not seem like it now but he is," Hershel sighed, "there is one thing I haven't told you kids about. Maggie doesn't remember it but I do. It was right after I married your mother. Maggie was runnin' through the house and knocked over a glass vase that I gave her mother the day she was born. I was so angry I left, stayed gone for two days. I came home so drunk I couldn't make it up the stairs so I slept on the couch. It wasn't any better the next mornin'. Maggie came downstairs and said she was sorry for breaking her mama's vase but I slapped her. Annette kicked me out until I sobered up. Elizabeth, it took me six months to get sober and three more before I could come back home. My point is, I lost my family because I took the devil's hand and let him lead me. Merle's goin' through the same thing. It took me losing my family to make me see what matters most. It took losing you and Cody for Merle to see that too. He needs you, both of you but he does want both of you to be happy."

"Daddy," Beth wiped the tears from her cheeks, "you're a different man than Merle. You're a better man than he is. I used to think he was better than what he thought of himself but I was wrong, so wrong."

"We're not that different, Bethie. Merle and I had the same upbringing. Both of our father's were evil men but we made it. Let Merle see that you believe in him. That's what he needs."

Hershel didn't give Beth a chance to speak again before he got up and went back inside.

_________________________

Merle sat in the parking lot of the liquor store. He'd been sittin' there for hours after leavin' the Greene farm.

He finally got out and bought a bottle of whiskey.

All the time he spent tryin' to make himself a better man for his wife and son went out the window when she walked in, holdin' hands with another man.

When he got home, he sat the bottle down on the coffee table and picked up the picture that was next to it.

He sat the picture back down and picked up the bottle.

His hand gripped it tightly before he hurled it across the room, smashing the bottle on the wall.

He couldn't turn back now. He couldn't let this all be for nothing.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a week before Christmas.

Beth didn't bother with a tree since she and Cody would be going back to Georgia until after the new year.

She did have gifts wrapped for Cody and promised him he could open one before they left.

They both loved the life they were building in Tennessee but Beth missed Georgia. She missed everyone and everything that was there.

If she was being completely honest with herself, she wanted to go home for good.

_________________________

Beth had just put Cody down in his bed for the night when there was a knock on her door.

She opened it to find Merle on the other side.

He looked like hell. Not like he was on drugs or drinking again but like he hadn't slept in weeks and was depressed.

Beth just stared at him. She wasn't sure what she should say or why he was there.

"Beth, can we talk?"

"Sure," she stepped back and let him into the apartment, then shut the door.

"You want somethin' to drink? We have hot chocolate or tea or I could make some coffee," she offered.

Merle shook his head, "I don't want anythin'."

Beth hated to ask what was on her mind but before she could even begin to form the words, Merle spoke.

"I ain't had nothin' to drink or anythin' else. I knew that's probably what you'd think if I drop by this time of night."

"Then why are you here?"

"I miss you. I miss Cody. I want y'all ta come back home. I need y'all."

"No," Beth kept her answer short, "I can't do that again, Merle."

He watched as she moved over to the front door and opened it, "I think you should leave."

He didn't argue with her.

_________________________

The Christmas tree in the living room of the Greene house was surrounded by gifts.

Cody was excited to see that the majority of the gifts were for him.

"Bethie," Hershel pulled her aside, "we've invited Merle to come over but he needs a ride. It seems his truck broke down. Would you nd Cody please come with me?"

Beth didn't want to but she knew Cody would and her daddy wouldn't quit askin' her until she agreed.

_________________________

Beth looked around as they pulled up to a log cabin.

The front yard was nice, as was the house. The grass had been cut, there was a tire swing and Merle's truck was in the driveway.

Sh looked over at her daddy and he simply smiled and got out of the truck.

"C'mon now," he told her.

She took Cody's hand as they walked up the porch, to the front door.

Hershel knocked twice before the door opened.

"Daddy!" Cody yelled out and ran right into Merle's arms.

Merle picked his son up and hugged him tightly.

He didn't let go of Cody as he watched Beth look around.

The furniture wasn't new but it was clean and without holes, stains and cigarette burns.

To Beth's surprise, there as even a small Christmas tree in the corner with a couple gifts under it.

She looked back to Merle and Cody with tears in her eyes.

Merle put Cody down and smiled at her.

"I wanna show y'all somethin'," he motioned for her to follow them.

He opened the first door on the right.

The bedroom was done up for Cody.

Hershel watched with a knowing smile as Merle led Beth through the house.

She was obviously impressed but yet sad to see everything he was showing her.

_________________________

Back at the Greene house, Beth was seeing a different side of Merle.

It was the side of him she loved and missed. The side he had only shown her a few times.

He had changed for the better in the past few months.

She couldn't wipe the small smile from her face as she watched Merle interact with Cody and her family. Even Daryl seemed more relaxed now that he didn't have to keep an eye on Merle.

_________________________

Everyone slowly drifted out of the living room and into their own rooms for the night.

Everyone except Beth and Merle.

They were both sitting on the couch with Cody asleep between them, his head in Beth's lap and his feet in Merle's.

"Why did you get a new place?" Beth asked quietly.

"Needed a fresh start. Somewhere we could start over."

"You still think there's an 'us'?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I know it may be too late fer us, but I'm hopin' it ain't."

"When was the last time you drank?"

"Tha night ya told me ya wanted a divorce."

"Drugs?"

"'Fore I got thrown in jail tha last time. When you was down an' found Daryl."

Cody squirmed around before waking up and looking at his mama and daddy with sad eyes.

Beth stood up, she held out her arms for Cody but Merle picked him up instead.

"Where's he sleepin'?" he asked Beth.

"My room."

Merle followed Beth up the stairs, trying not to wake anyone else up.

He laid Cody down in the middle of the bed then turned back towards the door.

Beth's hand reaching for his is what stopped him.


	8. Chapter 8

Merle woke up Christmas morning in Beth's bed. Cody was snuggled up between them.

He missed this, not that he had had it much there were only a few occasions he remembered having time like this with his wife and son.

Suddenly he felt as if everything was a dream, like maybe he was passed out somewhere and he was dreamin' of this shit. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

"Daddy!"

Merle's eyes shot open when he felt Cody pounce on him. Wrapping his arms around his son, he let a few tears escape.

Things may be this way now but he knew there was no guarantee Beth wanted anything to do with him. She seemed so happy with her new life.

_________________________

Beth woke up to an empty bed but she didn't panic like she normally would have.

She smiled to herself before changing clothes and going downstairs.

Everyone was awake and sittin' in the living room.

"Mornin', sleepyhead," Maggie shouted, "we've been waitin' for you."

Beth smiled and took a seat on the floor next to Cody as her daddy and Shawn passed out gifts.

_________________________

After opening gifts and eating a huge breakfast, they all gathered in the living room again to watch a movie Cody had gotten and was excited to see.

Everything was the way she always imagined it would be.

Her entire family, Merle and Daryl included, at her mama and daddy's for Christmas. It was perfect even if it wasn't.

_________________________

Maggie and Glenn left after lunch to go see his family. Shawn and Daryl took Cody outside to play with his new BB gun.

Hershel and Annette sat on the porch swing, coffee in hand, as they watched everyone. They both smiled when they saw Beth and Merle walkin' side by side down the driveway.

_________________________

"I'm goin' ta meetin's," Merle said, breaking the silence.

"I heard," Beth wasn't sure what to say.

"How're things goin' with y'all?" Merle asked.

"Good. What about you?"

"Things are aight, I guess. Got a job an' been fixin' up that house. Had ta get outta our trailer."

Beth as silent as they continued to walk and Merle watched her.

She was happy for Merle and everything that he had accomplished these past few months but there was still a part of her that doubted him.

"How long is this going to last? You bein' sober...I mean" she asked.

"Rest of my life."

Beth stopped walkin' and turned to look at him.

"You haven't done any anythin'? Drugs? Alcohol? Women?"

"I ain't done none of it. I cain't tell ya I ain't thought 'bout it but I have, not tha women but tha other shit."

He wasn't sure what he saw on her face or in her eyes but it was somethin' he had never seen.

_________________________

The next morning, Beth woke up to find a stack of papers next to her where Merle and Cody had slept.

She cried as she looked through them in disbelief.

Merle had signed the divorce papers she had drawn up but hadn't had the nerve to file.

All she could think was that someone, probably her daddy, had given them to him.

_________________________

Beth could smell fresh coffee, breakfast and the fireplace before she even stepped out of her room and as she descended the stairs, she could hear everyone talking in the living room.

No one seemed to notice her enter the room except for Merle.

His eyes flickered between hers and the papers in her hand.

Merle stood but before he could take a step towards her, she had moved and tossed the papers onto the fireplace.

When she turned back around, all eyes were on her.

Merle finally moved to stand in front of her. The look on her face broke him. Without sayin' a word, he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love ya," his words were muffled by her shirt but she heard the crack in his voice.

Beth's arms hadn't oft her sides until she looked up from Merle and saw Cody in tears and a small smile.

She motioned for him to come closer and when he did, Merle removed an arm from around Beth and scooped up his son.

Standing, he held Beth and Cody as close to him as he possibly could and kissed the tops of their heads.

"I love ya both."

_________________________

That night, Beth and Merle stood in her bedroom in each others arms watching their son sleep.

"I'm not takin' you back that easily, Merle," Beth spoke barely above a whisper.

"I know an' I don't expect ya to.".

"Good. Just so we're clear, things will be different. You're not gonna walk all over me like you did before. Things will have to be 50/50 now. And I will finish school, in Tennessee."

Merle agreed to everything Beth had said. He wasn't doing it just to shut her up like he had so many times before, he was doing it this time because he really wanted to. He wanted to be with his wife and son. He wanted his family back and he was willing to do anything.

As they both settled into the bed, Cody sat up and laid down on top of his daddy.

"I miss you, daddy."

"I missed ya, too."

It didn't take long for Cody to go back to sleep and Beth soon followed him.

Merle stared at the ceiling for hours until he got his nerve up to wake Beth.

"Hmm?" she mumbled, rolled over and opened one eye when he nudged her shoulder.

"I got a meetin' tomorrow."

"Okay," she mumbled again and again he nudged her. This time she sat up.

Before she had a chance to speak, Merle spoke.

"It'd mean tha world ta me if you was there."


	9. Chapter 9

Beth was standing in her bedroom looking in the mirror.

She had a date tonight but instead of dressing up she was wearing a simple lavender dress and cowboy boots.

"Mommy, you look pretty," Cody was sittin' on her bed smilin'.

She walked over to him and kissed his forehead.

"Go change clothes," she whispered.

Cody ran to his room and changed into jeans, a short sleeve button up shirt and cowboy boots.

Beth gasped when he walked back into her room.

"Awe sweetie, you look so handsome in that."

He smiled just as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Cody shouted and ran to the door.

_________________________

Swinging it open, he greeted his dad by wrapping his arms around his legs.

Merle bent down and picked him up.

"Yer mama ready?"

"I am," Beth joined them at the door.

It has been seven months since Beth decided to give Merle another chance and while she had questioned her decision at first, she was now glad she had decided to follow her heart.

She loved Merle and despite their ups and downs, he was proving himself to her everyday.

He had been clean and sober for almost year. He was holding down a job and when they would go back to Georgia, his house was always clean. Well, as clean as it could be with a man living there.

What surprised Beth though was, without her asking, Merle started sending her money every week to help out with bills or to get whatever she and Cody wanted or needed.

_________________________

This weekend, Merle had drove up from Georgia to spend time with them.

That was part of their plan. Two weekends a month Merle would drive up to Tennessee and the other two, Beth would drive down to Georgia. So far their plan had been working.

_________________________

Merle parked as close as he could get to the restaurant. It wasn't fancy but that didn't take away from him spending time with Beth and Cody.

Once inside, they got a booth and placed their orders.

Merle leaned over to Cody, who was sitting between them, when Beth went to the restroom.

"I got yer mama somethin'," he whispered.

Cody smiled, "What you get mama, daddy?"

Merle reached into his pocket and pulled out a small diamond ring.

"Think she's gon' like it?"

Cody nodded vigorously. When Beth returned both Merle and Cody were wearing big smiles.

"What's goin' on?" She asked suspiciously but neither said a word.

They enjoyed their dinner before returning to Beth's apartment to watch a movie.

When the movie was over, Merle told Beth to relax while he helped Cody with his bath and put him to bed.

Of course Beth didn't listen. She watched and smiled at how much she loved seein' Merle with Cody.

_________________________

Merle returned to the living room after reading a story to Cody.

Sitting on the couch with his arm around Beth's shoulders and her head on his chest, Merle pulled out the ring. He kept it in his hand, not showing it to her, while he talked.

"Beth," she raised up to look at him, "I know we're still married but I want a chance ta start over. Give ya ever'thin' ya should have 'stead of what I was givin' ya before. I fucked things up good last time but I wanna make 'em right."

He removed his arm from around Beth and quickly moved to the floor. On his knees, he opened his hand.

"Will ya marry me again, Beth Dixon?"

She was in shock at how very unlike Merle this all was but then she remembered that he has been changing for the better.

Merle didn't move, he was too afraid to because after her long silence, he thought she would say no.

Beth wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded.

"Yes. I'll marry you again, Merle Dixon."

He slipped the ring onto her finger but before he could stand up, Cody ran to him and had his arms around his neck.

Merle and Beth laughed at how happy Cody seemed and that he had been watching them. Which Beth suspected Merle knew about.

"Are we goin' home to Georgie?" Cody asked his mama.

"Well," she smiled, "we will but mommy still wants to finish school."

_________________________

Beth made sure Cody went to bed and that he was asleep before she left the room.

Merle was in her room in bed already but he wasn't sleeping.

She slipped out of her clothes and walked towards him, blushing when he smiled at her.

For the first time in over a year, they made love.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Final Chapter.

It has been a little over a year since Beth agreed to marry Merle again and since then, she and Cody had moved back to Georgia.

They were living with Merle again but things were different than the last time they had lived together.

Beth had transferred to a local community college and Merle was still attending meetings regularly while holding down not one but two jobs now.

His second job was working for Hershel on the farm, along with Daryl, but it allowed him to be with Beth and Cody when he needed to be.

_________________________

Today was Cody's fourth birthday and in just a few short weeks he would be starting pre-k.

Merle smiled as he watched everyone gather around the picnic table in their back yard to sing happy birthday to Cody.

He rushed to Beth's when she started to light the candles on the cake.

Taking the lighter from her, he lit the candles and stood behind her. As everyone started singing, Merle place both of his hands on Beth's growing stomach.

_________________________

A few weeks had passed and it was Cody's first day of school.

Both Beth and Merle were there to walk him to class.

"Mommy," Cody motioned for her to bend down and when she did, he kissed her cheek, "Don't be sad mommy. I love you."

Beth smiled and wiped away her tears, "I'm not sad, baby. I'm happy and so proud of you."

Merle kneeled down and hugged him.

"I love ya," Merle said, voice cracking just a little, "me an' mama will be 'ere ta pick ya up later, aight?"

Cody nodded, smiled and hugged his mama and daddy before waving goodbye and stepping inside his classroom.

Out in the car, Merle broke down and started cryin'. Beth would've laughed at the sight but instead seeing Merle crying just made her cry.

_________________________

Two months later, Merle was at Beth's side while she was in labor.

While the rest of their family waited impatiently in the waiting room, Maggie was the only other person Beth wanted in the delivery room.

Beth was in labor for 14 hours before delivering a healthy baby girl named Sadie Ann Dixon.

_________________________

Just a month after Beth and Merle celebrated the birth of their daughter, Beth's world began to crumble before her when Merle was killed in a car accident. 


	11. ALTENATE ENDING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the Alternate Ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _A/N: So, this is an alternate ending to this story. It was actually supposed to be the final chapter (10) but things changed and we ended up with something else. So here is an ALTERNATE ending._
> 
> _Enjoy and please review! :)_

Beth woke up in a cold sweat, chest heaving and unable to move.

She reached out for Merle but found he wasn't beside her. Panicking, she allowed herself to cry, she laid back down and rolled over to his side of the bed.

It still smelled like him and it still felt warm to her. It didn't have the empty feeling she had thought it would.

Beth wasn't sure how long she laid there or when she went back to sleep but when she felt a familiar hand on her back, she shot up in bed.

"Hey, baby," Merle sat down and wrapped his left arm around her, "still havin' nightmares?"

Beth nodded and buried her face in his chest.

"Ya cain't lose me, baby. It's gon' take a hell of a lot more ta kill ol' Merle than a car wreck."

Beth raised her head to look into his eyes, then she looked down. Running her fingers gently over the bandage that covered Merle's right arm, she let a deep, ragged breath.

"It could've been so much worse, Merle."

__________________________

_Nearly three months after Merle's accident, Beth's nightmares weren't fading._

_She wasn't having as many but she still had them nonetheless._

_That first nightmare came a month after Sadie was born._

_Merle had been working extra hours and on top of having a new baby at home, he wasn't getting much sleep._

_He fell asleep at the wheel on his way home and crashed head on into another car before smashing into a tree._

_His right hand was severed somehow during the accident._

_Merle was in the hospital for the following two weeks._

_Beth didn't handle the news of the accident well. Her first thought was that he had been killed and somehow that crept into her dreams at night._

_Waking up without Merle by her side for those two weeks scared her to death._

__________________________

Merle stared down at Beth's fingers and pulled her closer to him.

Though he hated it, he felt lucky that all he lost was his right hand.

The pain he felt for the damage that had been done to Beth was far worse than the actual, physical pain he as dealing with.

No matter how much pain he was in due to his injury, he refused to take any medication, even after the doctors insisted he do so.

Beth was proud of him for that but she worried about him. For a few fleeting moments she thought it would be better for Merle to be high than in as much pain as she knew he was in. Though he tried his best not to show it.

__________________________

Beth pulled away from Merle so he could lie down.

Merle laid down on his stomach with his right arm propped up on a pillow.

He could feel Beth sitting there staring at him. It wasn't out of pity but out of fear. She was fearful of what would happen when she closed her eyes and he knew that. So it was no surprise to him when he felt Beth's lips on the back of his neck and her arm around his waist. She laid her head on his back and listened to him breathing, finally allowing herself to fall sleep again with the assurance that Merle was with her and alive.

__________________________

Seven months after Merle's accident, Beth decided it was finally time for them to get remarried.

So many things had been keeping them from doing it, like her pregnancy with Sadie, and despite Merle disliking the idea of an actual ceremony, he felt he owed that to Beth but he knew she didn't have to have it. She wanted a simple ceremony in front of their family and just a few friends. After all, their first wedding had been in front of the Justice of the Peace.

__________________________

The Greene farm was decorated but it wasn't over the top.

There were a few chairs and several tables with food but it was hardly anything fancy.

Merle and Cody were dressed up nicely and waiting for Beth at the alter.

Instead of carrying a bouquet of flowers, Beth was carrying a sleeping Sadie in her arms. They were both dressed in white dresses with lavender ribbons.

Merle smiled at his girls and leaned down to whisper to Cody.

"Ain't yer Mama an' sister beautiful?"

Cody smiled and nodded.

__________________________

Beth tried to hand Sadie off to Maggie while she and Merle exchanged vows but the baby threw a fit, Beth decided it was best to hold her.

When it was time for them to exchange rings, they kept their old wedding rings but wanted to start fresh with new ones, Beth was able to pass Sadie off to Maggie.

Beth slipped the ring onto Merle's finger and when it was his turn, knowing it would be difficult, Merle asked Beth to hold her hand out so Cody could help him put the ring on her finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, again. You may kiss the bride."

Merle pulled Beth close and kissed her while their family and friends cheered.

He couldn't believe that after all these years and the hell he put her through, she was still his. She was still by his side and, if it was possible, he loved her even more than before.

__________________________

_**A/N: if you have read the sequel to this story you probably recognized some of the scenes. That is because I broke down this chapter after killing Merle in chapter 10 but I hated doing that so I decided to go ahead and post this.** _


End file.
